


The Queen's Address

by SlySalamander_woot



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Glimmer being a responsible queen, Glimmer being the leader I wish we had irl, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Queen Glimmer (She-Ra)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlySalamander_woot/pseuds/SlySalamander_woot
Summary: Glimmer took a deep breath in an attempt to quell the nervous squirming in her stomach, but it didn’t work. She felt Bow’s hand on her shoulder.“You sure you want to do this?” he asked anxiously.“Yes. I owe it to them. It’s gonna be scary and painful but, I’m sure.” She offered Bow a smile, which he returned.
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Glimmer & Micah (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	The Queen's Address

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first time posting, so am nervous. I just love Glimmer a whole lot and I think she would be a good queen.

Glimmer took a deep breath in an attempt to quell the nervous squirming in her stomach, but it didn’t work. She felt Bow’s hand on her shoulder.  
“You sure you want to do this?” he asked anxiously.  
“Yes. I owe it to them. It’s gonna be scary and painful but, I’m sure.” She offered Bow a smile, which he returned.  
Adora, a few paces behind her in the hall, mustered an encouraging nod. Catra stood next to her, wearing an uncertain expression. A servant shuffled around the corner from the balcony and bowed, “We’re ready for you, your majesty.”  
Glimmer stepped forward and took in the scene. The crowd that was gathered below the terrace was large enough to spill out onto the pathways and lawns of the garden. The mid morning sun bathed Brightmoon in a warm, comforting light. Glimmer glanced at her father and her mind flashed briefly to the conversations she had had with King Micah. Conversations about accountability, truth, and what it means to be a good leader. She gritted her teeth as she reached the edge of the balcony. Bow, Adora, and Catra stood behind her to her left, and her father back to her right. He nodded at her and cast an amplification spell. A translucent pink symbol floated over the crowd, then dissolved into nothing.  
“H-hi,” Glimmer stammered. She cleared her throat and her thoughts settled. “Over the last year I’ve learned that honesty, however painful, is essential for any relationship to succeed. And that includes the one between a queen and her people. It’s been a month since She-Ra and the Princess Alliance defeated Horde Prime’s tyranny. I know we are all still settling into a new normal as we rebuild and heal from the pain he and his followers caused.” She sensed Catra shrink a little behind her, but continued. “As we head into this new era of peace and restoration, I can’t afford to poison it with lies.  
“I stand before you today to tell you the truth about the arrival of Horde Prime...and my role in it.” Glimmer paused as a murmur ran over the crowd; she inhaled to keep herself steady. “As I’m sure many of you know, Etheria is a magical planet. Ages ago, the First Ones built tech to harness its magic and create a weapon called the Heart of Etheria. To stop the First Ones from using this weapon and destroying everything, Mara (who was She-Ra at the time) hid us from the rest of the universe. That was the reason Horde Prime didn’t know of our existence until a few months ago. I thought I could use the Heart of Etheria to win the war against Hordak, so...I activated it.” Glimmer felt her heart pounding in her chest, but she pushed on.  
“Luckily, She-Ra was able to stop the weapon from going off, but it pulled Etheria out of hiding and into the larger universe, which is why we see stars at night now. Although my intentions were good, I caused Horde Prime to come and rein devastation on our planet. That day I failed in my duties as a queen, as well as a friend, and I am truly sorry.” Glimmer let her confession rest in the air for a moment, swallowing hard. She felt Bow and Adora exchange glances behind her as Catra shifted uncomfortably. “I know this is a lot to take in, and I imagine it is an unsettling thing to hear from your queen. I expect to have lost much of your trust and respect, which is entirely understandable. But, they say that our failures are our best teachers, and I have learned a lot from mine.” Glimmer tried to read the crowd. This part of the speech was a bit more unrehearsed and she lost some of the confidence she had started off with. “This might not mean much now, but I promise I will protect you and help you rebuild, as a queen should. I-I hope I can prove myself and maybe one day regain your trust. Until then, I’m welcoming someone who has your trust to lead with me: my father, King Micah.”  
Glimmer turned to her dad, finally letting the tears into her eyes. He smiled proudly and wrapped her into a comforting hug.  
“I’m so proud of you Glimmer.”  
“I love you dad,” she sobbed into his arm. Their embrace didn’t last long, for a restless crowd waited for Micah’s assurance. Glimmer joylessly pulled away from his embrace and wiped her tears away. King Micah stepped forward to address the crowd, and Glimmer breathed a small sigh of relief.

***  
“Hey, you okay?” Adora called softly from the bed, sitting up. Catra was perched in the window, gazing over the moonlit garden, lost in thought.  
“Catra...hello,” said Adora with a bit more emphasis.  
“Hi, sorry.” Catra blinked to attention and turned toward her girlfriend. “I was just thinking...”  
“Anything specific?” The moonlight didn’t reach Adora, but Catra could see her cock her head slightly in the dark. She turned her gaze back out the window and paused before responding.  
“What Glimmer did today.” Adora waited for more. “I just know it took a lot of courage, that’s all.”  
“Yeah...I hope others can see it that way too.”  
“What do you think is gonna happen? With her being queen, I mean.” Catra’s eyes were still pointed outside.  
“I don’t know. I worry people won’t give her the credit she deserves. She did so many good things too.”  
Catra closed her eyes and curled around herself. “I didn’t.” She felt it sitting there: the guilt. It was always there in the background. Sometimes in quiet moments with Adora or when she was being teased by Bow and Glimmer, she would forget about it. But in moments like this one, it came swelling to the surface, slipping into every thought.  
A warm hand gently grasped her own, prying it from her knee. Catra met Adora’s gaze. The look Adora gave her was filled with love, yet her partially furrowed hinted at concern. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t need to. Adora was an open book that Catra had been reading for most of her life. She slid down from the windowsill and accepted Adora’s embrace.  
“I don’t know when it will go away,” Catra confessed.  
“When what will go away?”  
“This feeling.” Catra’s eyes searched the floor, as if it had the words she was looking for. “It-it’s like this weight that’s always there. Or, like a voice, that just keeps reminding me of all the horrible things I’ve done.”  
“You know that we forgive you, Catra.”  
“Mm. But I think seeing all those people today brought it back. The problems they’re dealing with are most likely because of something I did.”  
Adora gave a small sigh and walked back to the bed. She laid back so she was only slightly propped up and patted the space next to her. After a moment of hesitation, Catra decided to obey and snuggled up against her. It was cozy in her arms, but Catra’s mind was still being dragged down.  
“I know it’s always the bad stuff that stands out. But Catra, the good things you did have just as much, if not more importance. I would not have broken out of Prime’s virus. It would’ve corrupted me, and he would have won. You saved me. You saved everyone. Sure, people may have problems now, but they wouldn’t even be here at all if it wasn’t for you. I think that counts for something, don’t you?”  
“I suppose.”  
“And we haven’t even gotten to all the good you’re going to do.”  
“Hmmf” Catra relaxed a little, closing her eyes. “The feeling is farther away now,” she mumbled.  
Adora smiled at the purring that vibrated through her chest and gently scratched behind the cat’s ears. Catra suddenly felt very sleepy. Her thoughts slowed, blending together, and she drifted off.


End file.
